Collapsible container

ABSTRACT

A plastic base has an elastic membrane secured around the base to form an enclosure or container. A combination inlet and outlet hose is connected to the base so that the device can be filled with water. Restraining and carrying straps extend up from the base and meet at a carrying handle and the straps are preferably taut when the container is filled thus facilitating carrying. The pressure of the expanded eleastic membrane together with the static head of the water within the container is sufficient to permit discharge under slight pressure without raising the container above the outlet of the hose or tipping the container sideways. When collapsed the membrane, straps and handle together with the hose lie within the peripheral wall forming part of said base.

United States Patent Wulbern July 22, 1975 [54] COLLAPSIBLE CONTAINERPrimary ExaminerRobert B. Reeves Assistant Examinew-Thomas E. Kocovsky[75] Inventor. Herman Wulbern, Winnipeg, Attorney Agent, or Firm stanleyG Ade Canada [73] Assignee: Melet Plastics Ltd., Winnipeg, [57] ABSTRACTCanada A plastic base has an elastic membrane secured [22] Flled: 1973around the base to form an enclosure or container. A

combination inlet and outlet hose is connected to the base so that thedevice can be filled with water. Restraining and carrying straps extendup from the base [52] US. Cl. 222/105; 2221212; 222/386.5 and meet at acarrying h dl d the straps are pref- [51 1 B65d 37/00 erably taut whenthe container is filled thus facilitating [58] new of Search carrying.The pressure of the expanded eleastic mem- 222/212 386's brane togetherwith the static head of the water within the container is sufficient topermit discharge under [56] References cued slight pressure withoutraising the container above the UNITED STATE ATENT outlet of the hose ortipping the container sideways. 3,199,735 8/1965 Doerpinghaus 222/105 ncollapsed the membrane. r p n han le to- 3,722,756 3/1973 Cramer 222/212gether with the hose lie within the peripheral wall forming part of saidbase.

2 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures COLLAPSIBLE CONTAINER BACKGROUND OF THEINVENTION This invention relates to new and useful improvements incarrying containers for liquids or particularly water.

Conventionally cubical plastic containers are used for carrying waterparticularly in camping areas and these can be collapsed when empty andstored but unfortunately the flexible nature of the plastic oftenresults in punctures occuring particularly when such containers arestored in car trunks, trailer trunks and the like.

Furthermore such containers have to be elevated and tipped so that thecontents can be poured therefrom into a further container situated at alower level.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention overcomes thesedisadvantages by providing a container which firstly can be collapsedand stored within the plastic base thereof and secondly, when full, isprovided with slight pressure so that the discharge of the fluid isfacilitated. This slight pressure is a combination of the static head ofthe water or fluid within the container together with the fact that anelastic membrane forms part of the container and is expanded when thecontainer is filled and the water pressure or the like.

The principal object and essence of the invention is therefore toprovide a fluid container which can readily be filled from a faucet orthe like and which is then provided with a slight pressure for dischargeof the contents when desired.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the characterherewithin described in which the flexible portion of the container maybe stored within the rigid plastic base thus protecting same.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a device of thecharacter herewithin described which includes a substantially circularplastic base together with an elastic semi-spherical membrane secured bythe open end to said base thus forming a container which may be filledwith water under pressure whereby the plastic membrane expands andstretches thus applying pressure to the contents to facilitatedischarging same.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the characterherewithin described in which the discharge hose is provided with acombination faucet attachment and discharge nozzel.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a device of thecharacter herewithin described in which the full weight of the containeris transferred from the handle via carrying straps to the rigid baserather than the weight coming upon the flexible plastic as is normalwith conventional cubic containers.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a device of thecharacter herewithin described which is simple in construction,economical in manufacture and otherwise well suited to the purpose forwhich it is designed.

With the foregoing objects in view, and such other or further purposes,advantages or novel features as may become apparent from considerationof this disclosure and specification, the present invention consists ofthe inventive concept which is comprised, embodied, embraced, orincluded in the means, method, process, product, construction,composition, arrangement of parts, or new use of any of the foregoing,herein exemplified in one or more specific embodiments of such concept,reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevation of thedevice showing same filled with liquid.

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 partially sectioned but showing samein the collapsed and stored condition.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged partially sectioned view of the valve anddischarge end of the hose.

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of a detachable spary head.

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view of a pouring head interchangeable withthe spray head of FIG. 4.

In the drawings like characters of reference indicate correspondingparts in the different figures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Proceeding therefore to describe the invention indetail, reference character 10 illustrates a rigid plastic base which ispreferably circular when viewed in plan.

This base consists of a circular base panel 11 and an annular orperipheral wall 12 extending around this base panel 11. Surfacesupporting legs 13 depend at intervals from the wall 12 as clearly shownin FIGS. 1 and 2 and a flexible elastic membrane 14 is secured aroundthe peripheral wall 12.

This membrane is semi-spherical when in the filled position shown inFIG. 1 and the open base thereof engages around the peripheral wall 12whereupon a steel strap 15, having flexible characteristics engagesaround the open end of the membrane and clamps same to the wall 12 bymeans of clamp nut and bolt assembly 16.

A combination inlet and outlet connector nipple 17 engages through aconnecting portion 18 formed in the base which in turn communicates withthe interior of the elastic membrane 14, it being understood that themembrane and the circular base panel 11 form the enclosure within whichliquid such as water (not illustrated) may be carried.

A plurality of cord or rope straps 19 are secured by the lower ends 20thereof to the base leg portions 13 and extend upwardly to a common apex21 and a plastic carrying handle 22 is secured to this common apex 21 bymeans of rivets 23 or the equivalent.

These core or rope straps are of course flexible and take up the shapeof the inflated membrane 14 as shown in FIG. 1.

A length of flexible hose 24 is secured by one end thereof to theconnector or nipple l7 and a conventional shut off valve assembly 25 issecured within the distal end 26 of the hose and forms part thereof.This valve 25 enables the hose to be open or closed relative to the openend 27 of the valve assembly and a flexible rubber or plastic portion 28is in turn secured to the end 29 of the valve assembly 25. This rubberor plastic component 28 is capable of being engaged over a conventionalfaucet or hose outlet due to the annular flexible flange 30 extendingdownwardly and inwardly from the end 31 thereof.

A plastic spray head unit 32 is frictionally engageable within the end31 of the components 28 or, alternatively, a plastic pouring head 33 maybe frictionally engaged in the same way as will be apparent from FIGS.3, 4 and 5 of the drawings.

In operation, the component 28 is secured to a faucet or hose outletwhereupon the valve 25 is opened so that water under pressure may flowthrough the hose 24 and into the interior of the container thusinflating the membrane 14 to the semi-spherical shape shown in FIG. 1 atwhich time the cord or rope straps 19 are preferably taut as they moldaround the outer surfaces of the membrane as clearly shown The valve 25is then shut off whereupon the container may be carried by the handle 22with the hose 24 looped conveniently around the inflated dome of thecontainer. Under these circumstances of course the entire weight istransferred through the handle and straps 19 to the rigid base so thatthe weight or strain of carrying the water is not directly upon theflexible membrane 14.

When it is desired to discharge the contents of the container, same maybe placed upon a convenient supporting surface indicated by referencecharacter 34 in FIG. 2 and the valve 25 may then be opened after firstselecting the spray head 32 or the pouring head 33 as desired.

The static head of water or liquid within the inflated membrane 14together with the fact that this membrane is elastic and has beenexpanded to take up the position shown in FIG. 1, is sufficient tosupply slight pressure to the contents of the container so that same maybe discharged without the container being above the discharge end of thehose assembly.

When empty, the membrane together with the straps 19, handle 22 and hose24 may be collapsed within the peripheral wall 12 of the rigid base 10thus protecting same and facilitating the storage and transportation ofthe device.

Various modifications may be constructed or performed within the scopeof the inventive concept disclosed. Therefore what has been set forth isintended to illustrate such concept and is not for the purpose oflimiting protection to any herein particularly described embodimentthereof.

What I claim as my invention is:

l. A collapsable container comprising in combination a base which issubstantially circular when viewed in plan, an elastic membrane securedaround the periphery of said base to form a closed container with saidbase, inlet and outlet means in said base communicating with theinterior of said container, a plurality of straps secured by one endthereof around the perimeter of said base, a common carrying handlesecured to the other end of said straps, said straps enclosing saidmembrane when full whereby the load of said container is supported bysaid carrying handle when said container is being carried, said baseincluding a base panel and a peripheral wall around said panel, saidmembrane being substantially semi-spherical when full and being securedby the open end thereof around said wall, support surface engagingportions depending from adjacent the periphery of said base panel, aflexible steel strap secured around the base of said membrane and saidperipheral wall in clamping relationship, said flexible carrying strapssecured equidistantly around said base and extending upwardly and oversaid membrane to meet at a common apex, said handle being secured tosaid common apex, said membrane, said straps and said handle nestingwithin said peripheral wall when said container is empty.

2. The container according to claim 1 in which said inlet and outletmeans includes a common connector nipple in said base and a length offlexiblehose secured by one end thereof to said nipple, open and closingvalve means in said hose and a combination faucet attaching anddischarge nozzle on the other end of said hose.

1. A collapsable container comprising in combination a base which issubstantially circular when viewed in plan, an elastic membrane securedaround the periphery of said base to form a closed container with saidbase, inlet and outlet means in said base communicating with theinterior of said container, a plurality of straps secured by one endthereof around the perimeter of said base, a common carrying handlesecured to the other end of said straps, said straps enclosing saidmembrane when full whereby the load of said container is supported bysaid carrying handle when said container is being carried, said baseincluding a base panel and a peripheral wall around said panel, saidmembrane being substantially semi-spherical when full and being securedby the open end thereof around said wall, support surface engagingportions depending from adjacent the periphery of said base panel, aflexible steel strap secured around the base of said membrane and saidperipheral wall in clamping relationship, said flexible carrying strapssecured equidistantly around said base and extending upwardly and oversaid membrane to meet at a common apex, said handle being secured tosaid common apex, said membrane, said straps and said handle nestingwithin said peripheral wall when said container is empty.
 2. Thecontainer according to claim 1 in which said inlet and outlet meansincludes a common connector nipple in said base and a length of flexiblehose secured by one end thereof to said nipple, open and closing valvemeans in said hose and a combination faucet attaching and dischargenozzle on the other end of said hose.